


Chaotically Yours

by shadow_oblivion



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anxiety, Arrogance, Banter, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, M/M, My characters, My work - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Snowed In, Stranded, Surgeons, cliche what cliche, trapped in a hotel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 08:07:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12077028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_oblivion/pseuds/shadow_oblivion
Summary: Structure in a constantly changing world was a necessary part of Rowan's day to day life. An unpredictable man like Nate had no business being in Rowan's orderly world; professionally or otherwise. A joint conference and snowed in hotel, however, made Rowan begin to rethink the matter, despite the open hostility his fellow surgeon gave him whenever they were in the same room.





	Chaotically Yours

**Author's Note:**

> As an FYI, this is a test story I've been working on to see what people think of my style with my own characters. I originally posted this on fictionpress under another name-I didn't realize you could post original works here on Ao3, which is why I'm doing it now (but posting it as of today's date here), since some people out there are familiar with my fanfics and could potentially let me know if my characters start to resemble fandom characters too closely (though I do hope as this story goes along, my MCs will become more their own people- I've tried my best for this first chapter). 
> 
> I do realize the whole 'being trapped and stranded in a blizzard' is a cliche way for characters to get/realize an interest in one another but it was what worked for these particular characters and for me as a plot for them. And as you probably noticed from the tags, this is m/m, so if that isn't the kind of thing you want to read, don't. For those who don't mind reading m/m (like my fanfics), I'm going to let you know right now that this is going to be a slow-burn romance, not insta-love.

Disclaimer: The characters and the story are of my own making, and any resemblance to real persons or places is entirely coincidental. I am putting this here so that people can focus on the story itself and not point out whether or not the names of the characters belong to real people. This has cropped up when I tried giving my characters last names some years ago on fictionpress, so I figured I'd put it out there now if and before it comes up. I literally just plucked the names for these characters out of a name book over a year and a half ago and felt the names fit (they'd literally been named X and Y before that). I also needed last names so they could refer to one another by those names (and I used crest as in a crest of a bird; not the toothpaste brand).

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The hustle and bustle of the hospital was predictable on any given day. Predictable to a point, with allowances for emergencies or other matters that might otherwise disrupt Dr. Rowan Tanner's carefully constructed days.

Routine was everything to the thirty-four year old man. Routine meant that everything went according to plan, and the only thing that would break that routine were the emergencies. Other than that, everything was predictable, and for that, Rowan was grateful. Predictable meant there was no need to be anxious for no good reason.

Rowan thrived on the hectic pace the hospital set, and the large, muscular man saw no reason that he needed to change that. No matter how many times he got teased good-naturedly about his image being more suited to a tattoo artist or biker, Rowan shrugged it off and went about his duties as if he hadn't heard a thing. Inwardly, however, he agreed, what with his tattoos being hidden beneath his doctor's clothing and his piercings, for that matter. Not that anyone knew about that. Not even Rowan's own family knew just how many tattoos and piercings he had hid beneath his clothing, a sign of his teenage years. All anyone saw was a muscular man nearly six and a half feet in height, with the short black hair often slicked back as he went about his work. The pediatric surgeon's light brown eyes took in the world around him in a calm, almost serene manner, which was at odds with him image at times.

At home, however, it was another story entirely. It was as if Rowan's world came to a stop outside of the hospital, and there was nothing for him to do but wait for his shift to start any given day. He had hobbies, yes, but nothing that could keep his attention for very long, without giving in to anxious worries over whether or not he would be called in to the hospital on an emergency. Rowan couldn't even always remember to eat, because he was always thinking about one thing or another, and when he finally did remember to eat, it was always hours past when he should have had something.

But when he was in the hospital on breaks? Rowan always remembered to take care of himself then, and eat, so that he would be ready to take care of any patient who came into his care. The few close friends that Rowan had always voiced their concerns that he needed to take better care of himself whenever he was at home and not the hospital. This led to the inevitable hint that Rowan should try and find someone to live with him, so that he wouldn't be alone in his all but empty house.

Rowan resisted the idea. He didn't need another person in his life. He could take care of himself perfectly well, and besides, he didn't know how to articulate to his friends or family that it wasn't a woman he would be interested in bringing into his personal life, if he brought someone into it at all. Rowan knew who he was and what he wanted, but with his schedule being what it was, there was never much time to go out and socialize anyway. Not without the very high potential that he would get called in to the hospital to assist in some surgery or another.

That all changed early one winter morning, when Rowan was getting ready to go to a conference, and his best friend accosted him the moment he opened the front door to leave.

-x-

"Hey, Rowan, getting ready to go to work?" A bright, cheerful smile greeted Rowan, and the smaller man, Ryan, looked as if he had been up for all of five minutes before rushing over. The mismatched, hastily thrown on clothes and slippers led credence to this, and it made Rowan give his friend a once over before eyeing the man's blond hair, which stuck out in all directions.

"Yes, I am. Why are you even up so early in the morning? Is everything all right?" Rowan frowned a bit when Ryan's grin remained in place, the surgeon halfway through pulling on a warm winter jacket. Rowan was already suspicious of his friend's intention, mainly due to the fact that Ryan almost never willingly got up before 7 AM if he could help it. Nor would he have forgotten to dress weather appropriately if it wasn't something important. Rowan snagged another coat from just inside the house from a hook and offered it to Ryan. Even if it wasn't snowing that heavily yet, and there was barely an inch of snow on the ground, he didn't want Ryan to be uncomfortable. "I take it you weren't going to go into work like that?"

"No, of course not." Ryan scoffed, as if he found the mere idea of going to work disheveled insulting. He took the offered jacket and slipped into it, shivering minutely as if realizing the hazards of leaving unprepared. "I just wanted to let you know that there's been a change of plan for your conference."

"What do you mean?" Rowan stiffened as he began to feel a faint trace of unease. He always disliked the way something in his life could change without him having realized it. "I thought the conference was taking place in the hospital's staff meeting room this weekend. Late morning?"

"I got a call from one of the nurses, since you didn't answer your phone." Ryan said, his cheerfulness vanishing to be replaced with one of concern. "She said other nurses and assistants have tried calling you. Said you haven't been answering any of your calls for weeks unless it came to the cell you have for work."

"Then why didn't she call it if there was a change for the conference?" Rowan demanded, feeling a roll of anxiety sweep over him at the thought of missing a very important call, and that that call had not come to his cell phone that he used for work-related calls only.

"The nurse that tired to call is new to the hospital and probably doesn't have any idea about your eccentricities with phones and what calls should go where." Ryan spoke in a calming way, as if he realized that Rowan was not okay with something happening outside of expectations. Always an odd thing, considering Rowan was perfectly capable of going with the flow at the hospital. "That's why I came in person instead of trying to call you, because I know you would have ignored it since you were getting ready for the conference."

"Where is it now?" Rowan asked, trying and failing to retain his calm. This changed everything for him that day, and he felt the strand of predictability that held him together when he was at the hospital beginning to unravel. The loss of control over his carefully thought out plans for the next several days was crumbling around him, and he needed answers so he could straighten things out and let himself know that everything would be all right. It wasn't even all that surprising, really, for a sudden change of plans for the conference, considering there had been the small possibility that it would be held elsewhere.

More warning, however, would have been preferable compared to finding out hours before the planned meetings.

"It's at a hotel, a two-hour drive from here." Ryan said, apparently not surprised by his friend's crumbling calm. "If you drive there you can make it on time. Maybe even get there a little early. There are already reservations, so you can stay overnight and not have to worry about arriving on time to the next two meetings." Ryan saw Rowan open his mouth, and added, with fond exasperation, "And since you're about to ask, yes, you have your own room."

"That's all well and good, Ryan, but you do remember that I don't drive?" Rowan reminded his friend. Not with the traffic like it was. Despite being surrounded by strangers, the bus was far more comfortable and less intimidating then navigating the crazy traffic of the city personally. The last time Rowan had driven was over ten years ago, and after he'd froze up and nearly got himself into an accident, decided the bus was safer.

"You don't think I know that already? Why do you think I'm here at an ungodly time of the day wearing whatever the hell I could find in my room? I've known you for twenty years. Of course I know you don't drive." Ryan let out a heavy sigh. "Now, since I'm going to be getting to work late to chauffeur you, pack up for two nights. And make sure you have those noise-cancelling headphones I got you for your birthday."

Rowan gave in to the inevitable, and went to go do as asked. If anything, he was relieved that he didn't have to come up with new plans, and that Ryan was there to help him get things taken care of outside of the hospital. It was a bit ridiculous, really, to think that Rowan needed direction at all, considering how in control and professional he was at work. People came to him for help, not vice versa.

As Rowan gathered clothing and whatever else he figured he needed for two nights at a hotel into a suitcase, he was grateful to his friend for reminding him about the headphones. It was perhaps the greatest present Ryan had ever gotten him, and one that made rides on the bus so much more bearable. Rowan even wore them during breaks at work to close himself to the outside world and relax in silence before seeing to his next patient of the day.

"C'mon, Rowan! My feet are going to freeze out here!" A pause. "Don't forget to leave a key with me. I'll feed the cat for you."

Said cat bumped into Rowan's leg with heavy force, and it was proof to how nervous Rowan was about the whole conference that he had given no thought to his own pet. Rowan retrieved the headphones and gave his cat a tail-rub before heading down the stairs to the front door with his suitcase.

Mitch, for lack of a better name for the back and white cat, followed close to Rowan's heels, twining through his legs with increasing impatience while meowing like the world was ending.

Rowan set his suitcase down and wordlessly scooped Mitch up to bury his face into the purring cat's fur, letting out a soft sigh as he did.

Maybe Ryan and his other friends were right. Perhaps Rowan did need to find someone to have in his life, who didn't mind that he acted completely different at home when compared to how he was when he worked in the hospital. Someone who didn't mind that Rowan spoiled his cat rotten when he was home or on vacation. Who wouldn't mind his anxiousness over every little thing outside of his profession. But Rowan felt that it would take the right person to accept his quirks, as well as work around his already hectic schedule, and understand the stress of it all.

There was no way that could happen. Such a person did not possibly exist.

"You have got to get out more, Rowan. Maybe find an actual person to cozy up to." Ryan could be seen shaking his head in a fond, if exasperated way at the way his friend was hugging the small animal. "Stop snuggling your cat and let's get going."

"I wasn't snuggling." Rowan abruptly set Mitch on the ground, coloring slightly over being caught being affectionate with his pet. It was an image that he particularly didn't want spread, even if he was sure some people would find it...adorable, that a tall and muscular man would own such a dainty cat and be so gentle with the animal.

"It's fine, man. I've seen you pamper that spoiled brat for years." Ryan crouched down to greet Mitch, before gently shooing the cat away. "House keys?"

Rowan handed over the spare key that he had, and Ryan hesitated before he lightly clapped Rowan on the shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry, your baby will be well taken care of while you're gone."

Rowan appreciated the fact that Ryan had done the gesture despite the fact that the surgeon had an aversion to being touched, and at the last second had looked Rowan in the eyes to see if it were all right. Rowan frowned to himself as he exited the house with his suitcase, and locked up, before he headed over to Ryan and his car. Rowan didn't dwell too much on the being touched issue, as he currently had an unexpected conference relocation to deal with, which in his mind, was a more important matter to dwell on. Not to mention there were already anxious thoughts that whirled through his mind over being late. He did not want to add to that worry by second-guessing Ryan's promise that he would have his own room at the hotel, as that would then lead to Rowan considering the whole not liking being touched factor he'd begun to notice over the years.

So of course that was exactly what Rowan chose to dwell on part of the drive.

It was not that Rowan was completely anti-social. It was more that he didn't want strangers in his personal space until he got to know said person and felt trust could be given to be in that space. For some reason, this space wasn't as much of an issue in the hospital, where he was constantly having nurses and assistants in his personal space, as well as close to patients and their families. Then again, none of them were outwardly trying to touch him and therefore, it was acceptable to have them in his space. It wouldn't do to have a surgeon jump at being tapped on the shoulder or tensing up the moment someone got too close.

Rowan pushed the thought away and glanced out the passenger side window. The snow that began to fall on the way to the hotel added to Rowan's nervousness about the whole conference's change of venue, and the only thing that convinced him to stay was Ryan's cheerful statement.

"Hey, maybe you'll get snowed in and you could have a nice, relaxing time outside the conference where you don't have to worry about what to do next."

Rowan's mind recalculated the perks of staying at the hotel without any responsibility when Ryan added, in a gleeful tone.

"Maybe you'll shack up with some hottie to keep each other warm in the event of a power outage. Blizzards are great for that kind of thing, don't you think?"

Rowan kept his mouth shut, unable to point out that it would be inappropriate to think that that would be a factor in someone deciding to 'shack up' with anyone. Then again, Rowan had almost immediately had a plan to find someone to do just that with, as it had been so long since he'd tried to get together with anyone. The last hook up that Rowan had been a part of had been a bad idea, and it was unpleasant to think about even now. The way that night years ago had ended was partially the reason he was no longer into the game of finding strangers to share a one-night stand with. Not to mention his anxiety had only gotten worse over the years to the point where he couldn't even believe that he had ever been able to go into a random stranger's home, or to take someone he didn't actually know into his own home.

So much had changed over the years, and while some of it was positive, like his steady job as a surgeon at the hospital in his hometown, other things were not going as he had hoped. Being alone at thirty-four just seemed depressing, but it wasn't like Rowan was overly lonely; he was more overworked, if anything. That exhaustion ultimately left little time to think about partners, let alone dating and the time it would take to keep said partner with him any length of time, what with his schedule.

Rowan's work came first. It always had and always would, because it was the one thing that his anxious mind couldn't ruin for him. Relationships, on the other hand, were unknowns, and the mere thought of possibly trying to date made Rowan feel-

"We're here." Ryan broke into Rowan's thoughts, and the muscular man looked up, seeing that his friend had just pulled up to the entrance of a large, fancy-looking hotel.

The snow was falling heavily by now, and it made Rowan anxious to get into the hotel and check in, so that he could get to his room and watch the weather report, to see if there would be a lot of snowfall. It may have been ridiculous, but it made Rowan feel better to know what to anticipate so that he didn't panic the following morning by the potential reality of being snowed in.

"Try not to hide out in your hotel room the whole time, Rowan. I know you have this weird thing where you're shy outside of work, but do try and have a little fun." Ryan said as Rowan gathered his suitcase and exited the car. "You could even just chat to the people in the meeting that are from another hospital."

Rowan inclined his head in an absent nod to his friend before he cast an anxious glance toward the entry of the hotel. He heard Ryan say something through the rolled down window of the car, but Rowan was distracted at a group of people gathered just outside the hotel. It looked like a group of perhaps nurses and doctors from another city, but one man in the group stood out in particular, what with the way his black hair was streaked with red highlights, with small spikes done up here and there. It was hard to judge the man's height from this distance, but he appeared slim and wore what looked like a black leather jacket and matching black jeans.

Those jeans happened be snug and showed off a spectacularly sculpted ass.

Rowan blinked at that backside as the group paused before the door, speaking to one another. Rowan found it difficult to think for the briefest of moments, as he hadn't anticipated there to be anything remotely distracting at a conference. That was when the out of place man of the group half-turned and abruptly locked eyes with him. Rowan saw a flash of teeth aimed his way in what appeared to be a sneer, followed by a hidden middle finger that was clearly meant for him.

What the hell?

Rowan blinked in confusion as he continued to study the man, with more than a passing interest now. Why had the man given him the middle finger like that? It wasn't like Rowan had done anything to offend the man, other than to look at him. Rowan heard Ryan chuckling behind him, having seen the gesture.

"Oh man, Rowan, you better watch out. I didn't know that Dr. Nathan Crest the badass was going to be at your conference."

Rowan rounded on his friend and lifted his brow in question.

"You haven't heard of Nathan? Really? He's a brilliant trauma surgeon but a complete asshole to pretty much everyone who isn't in the hospital. Best beside manners for patients and their families though. Nice to them, too. Professional. I guess he just feels like he has to compensate for being so nice by being a jackass the rest of the day." Ryan chuckled again and smiled. "Good luck with the conference. And seriously, either find someone to unwind with or just get a drink and shoot the shit with a bunch of drunk doctors."

Rowan watched his supposed best friend drive away, and with a shake of his head, the black haired man turned back toward the hotel, only to be startled out of his damn mind by the sudden appearance of Mr. 'I'm a badass trauma surgeon.' Rowan was unprepared for the closeness of the other man and the sharp, gleaming hazel eyes that bored into his light brown ones from mere inches away. It made Rowan back away abruptly to put some distance between them, and unfortunately, he slipped in the freshly fallen snow. Rowan just barely managed to prevent himself from falling over and hastily planted his his feet to right himself. Even though he hadn't actually fallen completely over, Rowan was certain that his face was burning in embarrassment for doing such a thing in front of an undeniably attractive man.

Said attractive man, who happened to be Dr. Crest, looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh at Rowan or regard him with stoic silence. The former emotion won out, as Nathan's teeth flashed in a patronizing way.

"Problem with your balance, Dr. Tanner?"

Rowan was acutely aware of the fact that he was a few inches taller than Nathan, and a good deal bulkier. It didn't seem to faze Nathan, as he merely lifted his jaw a bit to meet Rowan's eyes as he continued to speak in an almost infuriatingly superior manner.

"I didn't realize that anyone from your city was coming to the conference. Did they need more presenters and were desperate for anyone they could get?"

Rowan blinked at the man's smug expression, and realized that the other man expected some kind of backtalk. Sure, Rowan wasn't a trauma surgeon, but he was good at what he did, and didn't see the need to compete over something as petty as differences in surgery. Not to mention, Rowan already had some degree of respect for Nathan, as he recalled that the man was only twenty-seven, and was already working in the hospital like it wasn't that big of a deal to get through school and internships at such a young age.

"Cat got your tongue, Dr. Tanner?"

"I wasn't expecting you to be standing right there." Rowan figured that Nathan wanted to start an argument with him for no other reason than for a sake of an argument. "You're a bit too close."

"I could imagine that becoming a problem at work. You don't fall over often, do you?" Nathan ignored Rowan's words of his being too close as he gave Rowan a once over, those intent eyes sweeping the taller man up and down. The trauma surgeon's gaze lingered briefly on the other surgeon's biceps, before he met Rowan's eyes again. With a smirk, Nathan added, "I can't imagine that it would be good for a doctor to be clumsy like that, especially one who is a surgeon and needs to handle things...delicately."

_A big oaf like you with such large hands looks hardly capable of such delicate procedures._

Rowan could almost hear the unsaid words, and it wasn't like he hadn't heard it all before. The black haired man squared his shoulders, used to someone trying to start something with his size. Years ago, he would have been inclined to bristle at the insult and lash back out, but now, it just wasn't worth the resulting anxiousness he would fell more and more throughout the length of an argument.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rowan spoke, his voice low and steady, as he knew that a calm demeanor would be the best way to offset a confrontation. "I thought this conference was for all of the hospitals in the entire state." Rowan studied Nathan quietly for a moment. "Is there something wrong with my being here from a smaller city, Nathan?" Why Rowan called the man by his first name, he didn't know, but figured it was some visage of revenge for the other man trying to get a rise out of him.

"It's Dr. Crest to you. And Nate to anyone else." Nathan said without rising to the bait, even if his words sounded like they were meant to be taken seriously and without question.

Rowan had a bit of a stubborn streak in him at times that rose out when in confrontations, and even though he normally refrained from tapping into it, in this instance, he felt justified in taking hold of that stubbornness.

"It's nice to meet you too, Nate." Perhaps Rowan was trying to get rise out of the other man in return. It likely had to do with the challenge in those bright eyes that were now giving him a rather offended look. "And do you find it problematic to have a small city surgeon in a conference with you?"  _With someone who clearly has delusions of grandeur?_ There was something that just rubbed Rowan the wrong way with the man standing before him. "Mr. Crest?"

Nathan, or rather, Nate's, eyes were narrowed in contemplation, as if he were thinking about what to say next. But whatever it was that he may have said to Rowan was interrupted by Nate's colleagues.

"Nate! We need to check in!"

The black and red haired surgeon left off studying Rowan with his intense hazel gaze, and turned his back on him without another word.

Rowan watched Nate walk away, and couldn't help but be drawn to watching that fine ass in those jeans swaying to and fro. Rowan wasn't sure what to make of the arrogant swagger in Nate's walk, but with the snow settling on broad shoulders, and snow melting through short hair onto his scalp, Rowan decided that he ought to go check in as well. He was definitely going to need some quiet time to prepare himself for sitting in on a conference with Nate undoubtedly giving him the malevolent eye throughout the whole meeting.

It wasn't a pleasant thought, even if Rowan had the fleeting thought that he wouldn't have minded the attention if it wasn't in a negative light.

The moment Rowan entered the hotel, he found those same hazel eyes burning a hole in him as he approached the reception desk. Rowan couldn't imagine the reason why, and found the hostile manner unnecessary and off-putting. Why the black haired man had even had the thought moments before that he wouldn't mind that same gaze in a different light was beyond him. It was nothing short of open hostility, and Rowan had no idea why Nate seemed to hate his guts so much when they didn't even know each other, apart from the barest of facts, and had never spoken before apart from their brief conversation outside the hotel. Since Nate didn't seem to be inclined to speak and merely appeared intent on his desire to set Rowan on fire with his gaze, the muscular man ignored him and instead spoke to the receptionist.

"I'm here to check in. My name is Rowan Tanner."

The receptionist checked the computer, before she entered something in, and produced a key card, which she slid across the desk. "Here you are, Mr. Tanner. Enjoy your stay."

Rowan nodded his thanks and made his way away from the reception desk, relieved to put some distance between himself and Nate, who had continued to stare after him in an uncomfortably calculating way. Rowan took an elevator to the third floor after he checked in with a few of his colleagues in the hall to find out when and where the conference would be held on.

With the meeting not until 11 AM, Rowan found that he could spend the extra hour and a half to relax in his room and get himself under control. Rowan was glad that Ryan had reminded him to bring along his noise-cancelling headphones. All Rowan would have to do to clear his mind was to put Nate and his rude behavior out of his mind. Rowan couldn't think about the way the other surgeon had looked in those jeans, nor the way that Rowan had felt when being scrutinized under that intense hazel gaze. Or about the way that smirk had hit Rowan with a feeling that was not one of annoyance and offense. No, Rowan had found the curl to the other man's lips quite interesting and-

Rowan shook his head. He was not going there. He was not even going to entertain the fact that he found Nate remotely attractive, because that was not what Rowan had in mind for a date.

The muscular man frowned as he came to a halt just outside the door to his hotel room. Why in the world would he even think that Nate was dating material, anyway? The man had gone out of his way to insult and rile him up, appeared to be an arrogant asshole that considered rules beneath him, what with the way he was dressed, and had made it known that he did not like his fellow surgeon for whatever reason. Rowan needed order in his life, and from the way Nate behaved, the man was anything but orderly.

Chaos incarnate, more like, with that intense gaze and wicked smile, like Nate would like nothing better than to find what made Rowan tick and then irritate him to no end until Rowan broke down.

Rowan believed that it would be in his best interest to forget Nate entirely, and to only be civil with the man the next he saw him, and leave it at that. With that plan in mind, one that seemed easier in his mind to implement than actually carry out in real life, Rowan took a breath and let it out. The dark haired man let his shoulders slump in relief at the thought of having a peaceful hour and a half to himself. Rowan used the key card to enter the hotel room, and closed the door, his racing thoughts now coming to a slow at the sound that greeted him just inside the room.

Silence. Wonderful, complete silence.

Silence was just what Rowan needed.

Silence was-

"You think you're funny, don't you? Setting up a master suite with one bed for two people. What do you think you're playing at?"

Rowan stopped dead in the entryway, and stared, horrified, at the sight of those same hazel eyes that had been boring a hole into him earlier.

Nathan Crest.

Mr. 'It's Dr. Crest to you'.

Nate was in his hotel room.

_Why_  was Nate in his hotel room? And why in the world was the man only wearing those snug jeans, which allowed Rowan get an eyeful of a nice, taut stomach? Brilliant person that he was, Rowan could only find in in himself to utter aloud in a hoarse whisper, horror mounting as his world started to crumble around him.

"Ryan said I had my own room."

The haughty, disbelieving glare from his fellow surgeon didn't make matters any better, nor did it help to realize that Nate was ever so slightly toned, and not as skinny as Rowan had initially assumed him to be.

Out of his depth with the unexpected predicament he'd suddenly been landed in, and being stared down by a displeased, half-dressed man, Rowan did the only thing that his mind would allow him to do at that point in time.

He panicked.

**Author's Note:**

> I will be doing some research as I write, but for the time being, it's more of the character's relationship and overall story that I'm focused on, than the details (like the hospital specifics or the places the characters live). I want to develop the characters and their relationship the most, the plot along with them, and then go about with actually bringing in names and places of cities, until I pinpoint where exactly this is taking place.
> 
> I do not know if this will bother people, but if this goes well, I may go back and revise with those other details, fleshing out the story further. I feel like it is a little bit rocky of a start but it should smooth out as I go along. For now, I'm just going to try and enjoy writing a story with my own characters, as I have grown rather fond of them (and if anyone wondered, I am familiar with anxiety, among other things, and will be trying to write it as accurately/tactfully as possible-if I don't, please let me know).
> 
> I can't begin to guess how long this story will be, but I will try to update it when I can (part of the reason why this first chapter is so long). Any comments or criticism is welcome and appreciated, as that really is the best way to improve one's writing, because an author can't always see things that outside readers can (and I think this is especially true for original work).


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